Washing-machine.



WASHING MACHINE.

- APPLICATION num Mu 23,-1903.

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Patented September 8, 1903."

PATENT FFICE.

WILLIAM S. MILLER, OF MEYERSDALE, PENNSYLVANIA.

WASHING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 738,560, dated September 8, 1903.

Application filed May 23, 1903. .Serial No. 158,478. (No model.)

citizen of the United States, and a resident of Meyersdale, in the county of Somerset andy State of Pennsylvania, have made a certain new and useful Invention in Washing Machines; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the saine, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the invention, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, and to letters "of reference `marked thereon, which form a part of this specification. j

Figure l is a central vertical sectionof the invention. Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2 2, Fig. l,- with the agitator removed. Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the agitator. Fig. 4 isa fragmentary detail view, partlyin section, of a portion of the agitator.

Theinvention relates to Washing-machines; and it consists in the novel construction and combinations of parts, as hereinafter set forth. .Y In the accompanying drawings the letter d designates the receptacle or tub having a bottom t, side wall c, and top d, the latter being secured to the upper portion of the side wall and being provided with an opening e for the introductionfof the agitator, the

`clothes or articles to be washed, and the water. To let out the water,aV Waste-opening having astop or valve is providedin the bottom portion of the tub. The upper surface of the bottom of the `tub is provided with a series of small ribs f, which are placed near each other with narrow intervals between these ribs, being usually of somewhat narrowed form from their bases to their tops or upper surfaces. The side wall of the tubvon its inner surface is also provided with a se-` ries of ribs g, extending upward from the bottom, said ribs havingsmall intervals between them. These ribs are also preferably designed to have their bases wider than their j inner surfaces, beingsomewhat tapering or beveled on their sides.

The 'cover is indicated at 7e. It is hinged to the top of the tub and is of suicient strength and extent to carry the rotary agitator h, which is provided with a stem or shaft Z, which extends through a bearing in the center of the cover, said bearing consist secured by its armsp to the top of the cover and projects above the latter sufficiently to give firmness of position to the shaft of the agitator. The journal portion of the latter is, however, somewhat longer than the bearing in order that it shall be capable of a certain amount of vertical or upanddown ad justment while in operation in order to accommodate itself easily to the quantity of the articles being Washed and also to the inequalities of thickness thereof, which arise constantly from their change of position. The bottom of the stem of the agitator is rmly secured in or to the center of the disk s, the bottom of which is provided with a series of deep radial trapezoidal ribs t, between the inner ends of which are openings fu. These ribs have their sides inclined toward each other from their bases to their bottoms, so that the intervals between them will become narrower toward the disk-bottom, thereby facilitating the rubbing action of the ribs. Around the side or circumference ofthe disk are the upright trapezoidal ribs q, of the same depth as the radial ribs and1 also arranged in 'series and being preferably connected each at its lower end by careful jointing or mitering (not shown) to the radial ribs of the diskbottom. In this way each rib is, in eect, of L form, the circumferential ribs serving to direct the water toward and into the cilannels between the radial ribs of the disk-bottom. These circumferential ribs are designed to extend upward to the bottom of the cover when the agitator is raised to its highest position, and in order to give them proper security of position and due firmness, as well as to prevent the articles being washed from moving past them to the middle of the agitator over its disk-bottom, the agitator is provided with an annular band or hoop a above the circumferential portion of the disk and within the series of upright ribs. Ifo this band or hoop the upper portions of these upright ribs are firmly attached. The rubbing is eected by the action of the side and bottom ribs of the agitator in conjunction with the side and bottom ribs of the tub', and this rubbing, in connection with the rush of the satisfactory manner.

water as the agitator is turned within the tub and the squeezing action effected by the upand-down movement of the agitator, is designed to cleanse the articles in the tub in a The top of the stem of the agitator is provided with a crank-handle or other device for turning. When the cover is closed, the agitator is in proper centralized position in the tub. When, however, the cover is raised, the agitator is entirely withdrawn from the tub, so that free access can be had to its interior. When raised, the water in the agitator escapes freely through an` opening, as at r, in its lower portion, the opening in the construction shown being between the hoop and the disk-bottom.

It is designed in this washing-machine to make the operating-ribs of the agitator much larger in cross-section than those of the bottom and side of the tub-that is to say, they project outward from their bases toagreater extent, even double or more than double the extent of the ribs of the tub itself. In this way they serve a better purpose in their action in moving the Water and the clothes.

Having described this invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Pat ent, is

l. In a washing-machine, the rotary agitator, consisting of the disk-bottom, its operating-stem, and the annular band above its circumferential portion, the deep radial ribs on the disk-bottom, and the similar upright side ribs connected at their lower ends with said radial ribs, and at their upper ends to said annular band, 'substantially as specified.

2. In a washing-machine, the combination with a tub, having the interior surfaces of its bottom and side wall provided with series of ribs, and the hinged cover of said tub having a central upward-projecting bearing, of the rotary agitator, having deep L-form ribs on its bottom and side, and a strengthening- 1 band above its bottom, and the reciprocating stem-journal longer than said bearing, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I aiiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM S. MILLER. Witnesses: ELLsWoRTH G. NAYLOR, FULTON N. SHIPLEY. 

